Twitter blocks access to analytics of its data to U.S. intelligence agencies

Twitter has blocked a data-mining company from providing analytics of real-time tweets to U.S. intelligence agencies, according to a newspaper report.

Twitter, which provides Dataminr with real-time access to public tweets, seems to be trying to distance itself from appearing to aid government surveillance, a controversial issue after former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the government was collecting information on users through Internet and telecommunications companies.

Executives of Dataminr told intelligence agencies recently that Twitter, which holds around 5 percent of the equity in the startup and provides the data feed, did not want the company to continue providing the service to the agencies, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, quoting a person familiar with the matter.

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